


At the Edge of Space

by Lavender_chan



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, I'll try to keep it fresh I promise, M/M, PTSD, i will add more tags, suggestions are welcome, yes this is yet another retelling of the main storyline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-06 09:16:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8744245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavender_chan/pseuds/Lavender_chan
Summary: Change is never easy, but when Jane Shepard dies, a change so big is forced on her that she wonders just how she can cope. Reaching out to her old crew is out--too many distrust her, take a pass on rejoining or hold a grudge because of her new friends in Cerberus.
Liara, who shared her bed, pushes her away in favor of a personal vendetta; Tali has new responsibilities she can't leave. Wrex is deep in Tuchanka and Ashley hates Cerberus enough to turn on Shepard. When she finally reconnects with Garrus, her final hope comes to a crushing halt when she realizes he has his own healing to do; sans her.
Desperate for some stability, how will Shepard cope with trying to handle the Collectors when her heart is clouded with her own issues?





	1. Asleep

"Shepard, get up!”

_The Normandy was barely in the sky and Joker was still trying to pilot it. Shepard grit her teeth and ran up the stairs, trying not to lose her balance when the attacking ship hit again. It was bad, everything was already muffled from the void of space sucking out everything--people, debris, air, sound--all of it disappearing into the vast darkness._

_The door to the CIC opened and sound disappeared except for her own breathing and the rhythmic beating of her heart. Every part of Shepard's body tensed as her grav-boots switched on and she walked along what was left of the CIC. Open space was above her with the planet--Alchera, if she remembered right--coming into view as the Normandy spun almost lazily._

"Shepard, wake up. This whole facility is under attack."

_"I repeat, this is the SSV Normandy," Joker's voice was suddenly loud in her ears as she entered the small safe area in the pilot's area._

_Shepard was struck then by how small he looked in the pilot's chair. Because of his weaker bones, Joker couldn't maintain the usual muscle mass of most Marines--hell, even he had joked that even most women could bench more than he could--and right now in the moment when the whole ship could disappear into cosmic dust, Shepard felt a twinge of overprotective zeal take her as she watched and heard Joker demand a response from the silent emergency channel._

_"Joker, we gotta go!"_

_"No! I can still save her!"_

_Shepard pulled his arm hard enough to hear a bone snap and she grimaced at his cry of pain, "The Normandy is gone! Don't throw your life away here!"_

_"Alright, alright," Joker hissed through the pain, "Help me out--gently."_

The room shook; her body was sore, but her eyes wouldn't open and only a few seconds later, she dipped back into the memory again, letting it swallow her in a flood of past sounds, sights and terror.

_Shepard knew there would be time for apologies and such later, right now she hit the button that opened the emergency pod for the pilot and helped Joker toward it._

_"They're coming around for another hit!" Joker was yelling, and Shepard pushed herself into the non-gravity of the broken hull to gain speed._

_She pushed Joker ahead of her and breathed a little easier when she saw him fly through the hole._

_Her smile disappeared when she suddenly felt herself spinning wildly and pushed away from the escape pod. The enemy's laser had hit right in front of her--her suit had already cooled, but the heat had touched her skin and left her gasping for breath._

_Shepard quickly brought up her Omni-tool and connected to the Normandy's VI, which had all but stopped functioning. Joker's only chance was for her to launch the pod..._

_She couldn't hear the hiss and small explosion of propulsion that signifies the escape pod launching, and she could only imagine the expletives that Joker probably employed when he realized she wasn't coming, but watching the pod launch gave her a moment of peace before it all went to hell again._

_The enemy laser hit something that exploded and Shepard was thrown back against some debris, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Her body bounced and spun until she was free of the ship._

_It wasn't until she realized she was drifting closer to Alchera that she also realized she never regained her breath. She heard herself trying--her ragged breathing and quickening heartbeat were once again her only companions--and realized a new sound was also in her ears: a hissing that made her skin go cold. Her suit was leaking air and she couldn't breathe._

"Shepard!"

The room shook again and her body fell off the bed and hit the floor, a gasp of air sucked into her lungs so hard it hurt.

"What...?" Shepard coughed and tried to focus.

The disembodied voice came again, “Shepard, you need to get up; this facility is under attack and you need to get to the locker.”

She blearily looked around the room and used the table to stand; her legs shook a little, and her body was sore, but she managed after a few seconds to stand and find the locker.

“Your pistol and armor should be in there,” the voice over the intercom had a slight accent to Shepard’s ears, now that she was listening closer; and it was so familiar.

“This gun requires a clip?” Shepard hissed, almost to herself, but the voice answered.

“I’ll explain the science behind it if you really want a rundown, but for now we need to get you a thermal clip.”

The redhead shook her head, but quickly dressed. She wasn’t sure what all was going to happen, but her instincts were kicking in now. All her years of training were moving to the forefront and her body moved on reflex. Shepard noted that her armor was in good condition and that the gun wasn’t very different from standard issue for Alliance.

In all honesty, she had heard rumblings about a new technology that would use thermal clips to keep a gun from overheating, but to have it tested and out for use? How long had she been asleep?

“Those canisters by the door are about to blow, move it!”

Shepard only glanced at the door once before she dove behind the medical table she’d been lying on moments before. An explosion made the floor rumble, but Shepard stood and looked through the door. From what she could tell, it was some kind of decontamination chamber, but that information was logged away as she noticed a small clip on the ground next to a body.

The same uneasiness that always settled in her stomach when she saw death was easily buried. She moved to the clip and it only took her a few moments to load her gun correctly.

“At least they made these user-friendly,” Shepard quipped to herself before she moved to the next door and opened it to the adjoining hall.

A makeshift barrier had been built around the door and Shepard realized the bodies lying around had either been trying to fall back to the lab or they were defending it. She wasn’t sure which bothered her more.

“You need to get to the shuttle bay, Shepard,” the intercom buzzed again, “For now, stay alert for mechs and keep yourself safe.”

Shepard bit back her questions; now wasn’t really the time to argue with the ceiling, especially since the person on the other side seemed to at least want to keep her alive.

“Right,” She breathed, “Shuttle bay.”


	2. Awake

The facility itself was strange in layout and hooked enough corners in the hallways to make Shepard stay on a hair-string stress level; any movement earned a hard glance and a level aim. Still, it was better than being back in that lab--uncomfortable memories had started to surface. Shepard realized that she knew the face of the voice in the ceiling, and also a man named ‘Wilson’, both of whom had been present for the first time she’d woken up.

Shepard shook her head and continued on. Miranda--the name she knew belonged to the voice, though more from memory than from her introducing herself--had been cut off from communicating somehow and that meant Shepard was solo from here on out. She couldn’t rely on a voice in the sky for help anymore.

She passed through another door and the sound of gunfire made her cling to a wall as she entered an expansive room. Peaking around the corner, Shepard saw a dark-skinned man in a black and white jumpsuit hiding behind the guardrail. On the other side of said guardrail, there was a drop and on the opposite side of the drop, a small pathway with mechs shooting at the man.

After a quick check to ensure she was fully loaded, Shepard darted out and ran to the spot next to the man, hunkered down to make herself smaller until she crouched next to him.

“What’s going on here?” Shepard easily fell into command, it was second nature on a battlefield.

“Commander Shepard? Geez, things must be bad if Miranda has you up and about,” He said, seemingly more to himself before he answered her question, “My name is Jacob, could use a little help, ma’am.”

He continued, “We’re low on thermal clips, but I’m a biotic; you give the orders and I’ll tear into them.”

Shepard nodded and glanced across the drop before starting immediately, “Pull the mech at your 10, I want him in the chasm.” She popped up and shot off three shots, hitting a mech twice in the chest and once in the head, happy to see it fall before she used her own biotic to pull another mech after the one Jacob pulled.

Jacob downed the last mech with his own pistol and Shepard took a breath before standing, her eyes on the downed mechs to make sure they weren’t getting back up, even as Jacob began talking.

“Damn, I’d heard you were good,” He said, waving absently, “But I didn’t even think about using my biotics to pull them over the edge like that.”

Shepard offered him a friendly smile before she spoke, “Jacob, what’s going on here? I mean, with this whole thing? The last thing I remember….”

Her voice died in her throat and she looked down. The last thing she remembered?

_Her body was on fire as she felt the heat of entering Alchera’s atmosphere, her breath was gone and she couldn’t get it again. All she heard was the slow rumble of the heat, and the high hiss of the last of her oxygen leaving her suit. Everything was fading, and her existence, everything, was only pain._

“You died 2 years ago in a surprise attack, Commander,” Jacob supplied easily, too easily considering the way her heart rate jumped and she had to fight to keep her breathing steady, “The Normandy was destroyed.”

“M-my crew,” She hated the way her voice cracked, but her eyes locked with Jacob’s hard, “Liara?”

Shepard felt a little guilty that she hadn’t spared a thought for the Asari who’d shared her bed for nearly a month when the Normandy was attacked. Their relationship was still in it's infancy, to be honest, but Liara was so soft in response to Shepard’s hardness, and was a cool place to land between missions. Liara was easily someone Shepard could see a life with.

“Nearly everyone made it out,” He quickly reassured, “A few of the crew on the lower decks and Navigator Pressly was killed in action. Dr. T’soni made it out safely; I think she’s an information broker now.”

Pressly. That was a kick in the chest. Her XO and Navigator, killed during the same attack that killed her-

That nearly made her throw up. Not just the idea of Pressly dying in that surprise attack, but also the fact that she herself died. She forced the thought away, and focused on the man again.

“What happened to the rest of my crew then?” Shepard found it easier to talk now that the subject was away from her death, “Where are they?”

“Most went their separate ways, or left the Alliance,” Jacob said, “The Alliance itself wasn’t too happy with the number of non-humans on board anyway, from what I hear; a lot of files were sealed and from what I hear, Ashley Williams was transferred to another frigate. Miranda might know more.”

Shepard took a breath and shook her head, but nodded; right at this moment, she needed to focus on getting out of this place alive. Then she could find Liara; then she could find everyone else, “Right, Miranda; she’s been off comms for a few minutes now. Some kind of interference from the sound. Which way is the shuttle bay?”

She could tell Jacob was a military man the way his back straightened at her question and the way he answered her quickly, “It’ll be this way, ma’am.”

Before either of them could move in the direction that Jacob pointed, the comms buzzed in both of their ears.

“H-hello? Is anyone on the channel? Is anyone still alive!?” He sounded desperate. His voice stirred Shepard’s memories, but Jacob cut over her thoughts.

“Wilson?” Jacob’s fingers reflexively went over his earbud, “This is Jacob, I’m with Commander Shepard. Where are you?”

“Shepard’s alive? How-Nevermind, you need to come find me, I’m in Server Room B.”

“Is it on the way?” Shepard was already moving toward the door, Jacob quickly catching up.

“Yes, ma’am,” He answered her before responding over the comm, “We’re on our way, Wilson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyya~ So, I've got more than a few of these chapters ferreted away (I've been writing for this fanfic for a little while and didn't really have any intention of posting it until recently), so for a little while, at least, there is going to be consistent, daily updates. Onces I run out? Well, we'll see haha. I hope you all will enjoy this fanfic as much as I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated, and please follow my tumblr: [PurpleFictionMom.tumblr.com](http://purplefictionmom.tumblr.com/) My ask is always open!


	3. Aware

Despite the fact that Wilson was the only other face Shepard remembered from the first time she woke up, there was something deceptive about the man. Maybe it was the way he easily bounced from one idea to the next, like a rat trying to look for the easiest exit.

Either way, Jacob seemed just as suspicious.

“Why would you even have mech clearance, Wilson?” Jacob crossed his arms, staring down the bald man.

“I told you, I was here trying to _fix_ this mess,” Wilson snapped, “But when I got here, all the systems were fried; whoever did this, didn’t want it reversed.”

Shepard glanced around the room, a gut feeling that something was simply...off.

“Where are the mechs?” Shepard suddenly asked.

“What?” Wilson seemed shocked.

“What do you mean, Commander?” Jacob glanced around as well.

“The mechs that shot your leg, Wilson?” Shepard didn’t look at him; in all honesty, she didn’t give a damn if he was lying. This day was full of nothing solid for her to stand on, washed with strangers who seemed to simply expect her trust simply because she’d been their experiment for the past two years.

“I-” Wilson swallowed before motioning to the large hole in the floor, “There were only two, one blew and both ended up down there.”

It was vague enough to be true, but Shepard nearly laughed at his delivery. Jacob didn’t seem amused.

“That a fact, Wilson?” Jacob nearly growled, “I don’t see any mech _parts_ either.”

“Jacob, you know me!”

“Well, you’re both strangers to me,” Shepard cut in, waving her hand, “So buck up, shut up and let's get to the shuttle bay before I let you both try to kill each other and deal with the survivor.”

Wilson glanced at Jacob, and shuttered at Jacob’s amused look, “Cracking jokes in the field, ma’am?”

“Who said I was joking?” Shepard offered him a small smile, but only as far as she passed them.

“Commander, wait,” Jacob said after a pause, and despite the apparent urgent need to get to the shuttle bay, Shepard waited--even turned around to look at him while he spoke, “We should probably let you in on who we’re working for.”

“Seriously? Nobility for itself is gonna get us killed Jacob,” Wilson hissed.

“Shut it,” Jacob glared at him, “The Commander deserves the truth. The truth is that we work for Cerberus; the Illusive Man wanted to bring you back to life, same as you were and we did it.”

Her chest went cold and her eyes narrowed, “Cerberus? The same Cerberus that was responsible for Akuze and all those horrible experiments I witnessed during my time hunting Saren?”

Wilson shuffled nervously from foot to foot as her fists clenched and she nearly snarled, “The same Cerberus responsible for Rear-Admiral Kahoku’s death?”

Jacob was taken aback by her ferocity, but answered all the same, “I don’t know about any of that; Cerberus is separated by ‘cells’ that are independent of each other. I just thought you should know.”

Shepard snorted and turned on her heel, storming ahead of the two men; more than anything, she wanted off of this station and back to something, _anything_ familiar. It was like being displaced in time. She went to bed and woke up to find that two years had disappeared and that no one and nothing was the same.

~*~

“Miranda,” Wilson looked genuinely shocked, “But you’re-”

Without warning, the dark haired woman raised her pistol and shot Wilson in the throat. Her blue-gray eyes looked disgusted as she watched him crumble.

“Dead?”

On instinct, Shepard had raised her gun when she saw Miranda’s come up, but only shook her head as she watched the medical chief fall to the floor.

Miranda was perfect by any standards Shepard had come to know. Full, dark hair with perfect pouting lips and even skin. Her eyes were blue, bordering on gray and her body was perfectly shaped underneath the catsuit she was sporting. The white near-leather fabric clung to her body and accentuated it in all the right places.

“Well, that’s one way to handle things,” Shepard commented as she lowered her gun; she didn’t put it away just yet, though.

“He was a traitor,” Miranda said simply, “Now we need to leave.”

“After you’ve properly told me what’s going on and where we’re going,” Shepard said, crossing her arms and tapping her gun on her side as if impatient, “I already know you work for Cerberus, so you can skip that part.”

“Ah, Jacob,” She only glanced at the dark-skinned man once, “Should have known your conscience would get the better of you.”

“Lying to the Commander isn’t the way to earn her trust,” Jacob said easily, crossing his arms behind his back.

“Alright, fine,” Miranda sighed, “The short quick version is that you died two years ago in a surprise attack. The Illusive man poured millions of credits into bringing you back because the galaxy can’t go on without you; there’s too much at stake. As for this station, Wilson betrayed us for some unknown reason, reprogrammed the mechs to attack and probably planned to get away in the shuttle while looking like one of the victims; I threw that plan since I knew he was a traitor.”

“That doesn’t answer where we’re going,” Shepard pointed out.

Miranda was getting impatient, “Listen, Commander, we can talk on the way, or I can leave you here on this station, either way works for me.”

“Miranda,” Jacob hissed.

“Fine, leave me,” Shepard hissed, her eyes narrowing, “But since your boss was the one ‘pouring millions of credits’ into me, I doubt he’ll appreciate the little fit you’re throwing just to show your dominance. Answer my question, or I’ll take my chances with the mechs.”

Both Miranda and Jacob froze, staring at the redheaded woman like she was crazy. It was almost a full 30 seconds by Shepard’s count before either one of them spoke again.

Jacob looked amused at Miranda, “Well, Miranda?”

“Fine,” The blue eyed woman looked furious, but spoke evenly, “We’re going to another secure base where you can speak to the Illusive man.”

“Now, was that hard, princess?” Shepard uncrossed her arms and walked past Miranda, catching the look of utter loathing cross her face as she passed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, Shepard's personality will start to show through now that the first few chapters are done :D
> 
> Comments are always appreciated, and please follow my tumblr: [PurpleFictionMom.tumblr.com](http://purplefictionmom.tumblr.com/) My ask is always open!


	4. Rebellion

Shepard didn’t like this base any more than the last one, but she still didn’t bother to speak. Either Miranda and Jacob wouldn’t care--which was likely--or they’d tell her there’s not much can be done about it--which was also likely--and both sounded unappealing coming from near total strangers.

Miranda obviously didn’t like her--and Shepard wasn’t fond of the woman either, though she couldn’t stop herself from admiring the woman’s work ethic. Even with the reprimanding tone from Jacob and Shepard’s smartass mouth, she got through the questions of the psych eval with an even tone and smooth responses.

Jacob respected her, and that was something, but his complacent and go-along attitude made it hard to trust him, if only because it seemed more along the lines of he would go whichever way the wind blew him, and the wind was blowing pretty hard from Cerberus.

The staircase going down at least was a journey she could make alone, and she, Commander Jane Shepard, who grew up alone and hated silence and all it's meanings, was happy for the silence and the moment of peace that came with being away from the two up above. She’d been on guard since she woke up and it was exhausting to keep up. Her head pounded with a coming headache, and her body felt weaker than it did two years ago.

_Two years ago._ That sentence was still blowing her mind and she had to take an extra moment to breathe.

Still, she took her breath and straightened her back. Shepard continued down the stairs.

The room at the bottom was a dead end, though there was a circle in the middle of it. An eyebrow arched on her face, but she moved to stand in the center, preparing herself for an elevator or something of the like to happen.

Instead, a thin beam of light circled her, and a body scanner started from her boots to her head. The beam of light around her seemed to solidify, and she saw the Illusive man projected in front of her.

“The Illusive man, I presume?” She narrowed her eyes, “Smart of you not to meet with me in person; I may have strangled you on principle.”

“Shepard,” He took a long drag from his cigarette and it was another reason Shepard was happy not to be in the same room as him, “Good to see you still have your old humors, though it's unsettling to have your ire directed at me.”

His confidence irked her, but she held her tongue, “What do you want?”

“While you’ve been asleep-” his demeanor didn’t change, even as she snorted, “-entire human colonies have gone missing and the numbers are increasing dramatically.”

Shepard stopped at that, staring at the man hard, “Why has the Alliance let this go?”

“They’re small colonies out in the Terminus,” Another drag of his cigarette before he let the smoke drift out while he spoke, “The Council refuses to get involved and many of those colonies left the Traverse in order to get away from the Alliance, so it goes on, unchecked.”

“I don’t understand,” Shepard took a step forward, “You’re telling me that you brought me back because of a few missing colonies because the Council and the Alliance refuse to budge?”

“Think a little more clearly, Shepard,” The Illusive man stubbed out his cigarette and pulled out another, though he didn’t light this one yet, “You and I are among the few who know and believe the facts about the greatest threat coming to this galaxy.”

“The Reapers,” Shepard said easily, “You think the Reapers are involved somehow?”

“Call it a gut feeling, but I _know_ the Reapers are involved,” He said, “Working whatever way they do, they scrape clean human colonies; no one left to tell what happened, how or why.”

Her lips pressed together, “You realize even for me, this is far-fetched.”

At that, he chuckled, “If you believed me simply on my word, I’d be disappointed, Shepard. Miranda and Jacob will follow your lead as you go to check on Freedom’s Progress, the most recent colony to be hit.”

Shepard nearly blanched, “You expect me to trust those two at my back?”

“They’ll follow your orders,” The Illusive man finally lit his cigarette before he continued, “If you don’t find the evidence that convinces you, Shepard, then you can walk away no questions asked.”

~*~

The shuttle ride to Freedom's Progress was tense, but Shepard was sure it was for different reasons. She was tense going into an unknown situation with an untested team.

“This is the soonest after a colony is hit that we’ve been able to have feet on the ground,” Jacob said, his leg bouncing up and down, “Usually investigators and sometimes even looters have gotten there first.”

Miranda nodded, but watched Shepard closely.

The pilot called 5 minutes til touchdown and Shepard leaned forward to talk.

“Can I trust both of you to follow my orders?” Shepard glanced between them. Miranda looked like she was offended, but Jacob nodded.

“We didn’t bring you back from the dead just to question you now, Commander,” Jacob said.

“Alright, so our first priority is survivors,” She nodded, bringing her hands together between her knees.

She had just fallen into her commanding role when Miranda spoke up, “That’s unnecessary, Shepard; there were none on the other colonies.”

Shepard leveled her stare with Miranda until she stopped speaking, “Questioning my orders so soon, princess?”

Jacob snorted, but stifled the noise when neither woman looked at him and instead stared hard at each other.

“No,” Miranda finally said, crossing her arms and legs and leaning back, “We’ll keep an eye out for survivors.”

“Good girl,” Shepard said absently before falling back to her original thought, “I want Jacob on my right and Miranda on my left at all times, be conservative with biotics, but if you see an opening, take it. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jacob quickly answered.

“I understand,” Miranda answered after.

“Follow orders, and we’ll all get along,” Shepard rubbed her face; it was worse than being with brash new recruits, at least they understood chain of command and were beaten black and blue with the idea of following orders. These two were closer to hired mercs who were more likely to save their own hide than they were to stay buckled under cover to save a squadmate.

Still, as the shuttle landed, Shepard easily fell into the steps of command and lead their way through the colony.

It chilled her to the bone how accurate everyone had been when they described it as abandoned.

“It’s like everyone got up in the middle of dinner,” Jacob said slowly as they passed through a small mess hall.

It was as he said. Half-eaten plates were still on the tables, cold and getting stale in the open air. Papers were shuffled to the ground and lay forgotten. Tools were left on benches, beds left empty but ruffled like they had been slept in.

“But where did they all go?” Shepard found herself asking, walking from one building to the next.

“No signs of battle, or a struggle,” Miranda sounded just as awed, and quiet, “No blood, not even scorch marks from weapons. It's just like all the reports said.”

“So I take it neither of you have actually been planetside for any other colonies?” Shepard asked as they passed into another building and she locked her gaze onto a small table filled with coloring books and crayons.

“No, ma’am,” Jacob said, “We’ve been assigned to you for the better part of two years.”

“I didn’t think it would be so...lonely,” Miranda said.

Shepard caught that her gaze was on the small table, as her own had been, but Miranda seemed transfixed, as though she could almost see the children normally sitting around said table.

“Come on.”

Shepard lead them on.

As they exited the third building and out onto a catwalk, movement across a short drop caught Shepard’s eye.

“Mechs!” Shepard hissed and ducked behind cover.

“The colony defenses weren’t active at the other colonies,” Miranda quickly said as she dove behind cover near the door.

“Maybe there really are survivors this time,” Jacob quickly threw a pull and a mech was pulled forward into the drop between the catwalks.

“No speculation now,” Shepard said, “Miranda, warp that group that’s approaching on our 3 o’ clock!”

~*~

“Put your weapons down, this isn’t….Shepard? You’re alive?”

Shepard lowered her weapon almost immediately, though she saw Miranda and Jacob hesitate a little out of her peripherals. Still, Shepard couldn’t stop a small smile from appearing; here was something familiar, something she was more than happy to cling to.

“Tali,” Shepard reached out and was happy when Tali shook her hand, “It’s nice to see someone familiar.”

Shepard took in what she could of Tali. Her voice was the same, a little stronger now for sure; her suit was completely different, though it still clung to her alien curves in a way that made sure you knew she was all female.

“Shepard, I’m shocked,” Tali’s voice was full of disbelief, “I’m happy you're alive, but...Cerberus?”

“Cerberus can’t be trusted!” A male quarian, fingers twitchy, spoke before Tali could quell him.

“Prazza, stand down, lower your weapons,” Tali didn’t raise her voice, but her command was certain.

She felt her face fall a little; of course, Cerberus would ruin this for Shepard. Even though her old armor was still blazoned with her N7 rank, both Miranda and Jacob had Cerberus insignias on their uniforms.

“I was spaced 2 years ago, Tali,” Shepard hated what she was said now, “Cerberus brought me back and it's for an important reason.”

Tali paused. Both of them knew about Shepard’s personal mission against the return of the Reapers, but Shepard could only guess if Tali would connect Cerberus’s intentions and Shepard’s miraculous revival.

“Is it really you, Shepard?” Tali asked quietly, and Shepard could see the slight glow of the quarian’s eyes searching her own.

Shepard already knew what to tell the girl, “Remember during our chasing of Saren two years ago? I gave you valuable data on the geth that we found on a mission; did that help you finish your pilgrimage?”

Tension visible drained from Tali, “...It did, Shepard; I can’t thank you enough for that data.”

“More importantly than that, why are a bunch of quarians on a human colony,” Miranda suddenly broke in. Jacob had lowered his weapon when the group of quarians had started to lower theirs, but the situation was still tense because of Miranda still holding her weapon high.

Shepard immediately turned and leveled a stare, “Lower your weapon, Lawson.”

Miranda hesitated, but finally did as ordered, though it was slow.

Despite the high amount of tension, Tali still answered the question when Shepard turned back, “We’re looking for a quarian named Veetor; he was here on his pilgrimage.”

“Isn’t it a little odd for a quarian to come to a remote human colony?” Shepard asked, eyebrow raised.

Tali nodded, but said, “We are allowed to go anywhere we please during our pilgrimages. Veetor always liked the idea of helping small communities; he was always….nervous in crowds.”

“You mean unstable,” Prazza suddenly broke in. He sounded disgusted and angry, “Add to that, he’s acting delirious--most likely from a suit malfunction and an infection from an injury--and programmed the mechs to attack on sight.”

“Veetor may know what happened here,” Jacob broke in tentatively.

Shepard nodded almost absently to him, “Tali, we have to know what happened to this colony; there are hundreds more just like it and we need to know what’s causing this.”

“I...understand, Shepard,” Tali said, but she was hesitant.

“So, now we’re working for _Cerberus_?” Prazza took a step forward, but Shepard was proud how Tali stood her ground.

“No, you’re working for me, Prazza,” Tali said, “If you can’t follow orders, go wait on the ship.”

She turned back to Shepard, “We need two teams to get to Veetor anyway; we’ll go around and draw the mechs. We’re better equipped at handling them, anyway. You can take the back way and meet us at the loading docks.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Shepard nodded.

As they parted ways, Shepard rounded on Miranda.

“I get that we’re stuck together,” Shepard said in a cool tone, “But if you keep your attitude up and don’t follow cues, you’ll see how much of a bitch I am.”

Miranda crossed her arms and shifted to one foot, “Understood, Commander.”

Shepard turned on her heel and started out the door what would lead to a few catwalks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for missing a post yesterday! I babysit two children (who happen to be my adopted sisters) and my dad needed me to stay overnight to help out. No other delays planned, but I'll try to keep you lovelies entertained!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated (please acknowledge me xD), and please follow my tumblr: [PurpleFictionMom.tumblr.com](http://purplefictionmom.tumblr.com/) My ask is always open!


	5. Acceptance

The back of the loading docks was dark, and Veetor had been found. Shepard could see he wasn’t completely in his right mind--he talked to himself in short, panicked sentences, talked about monsters, and didn’t even seem to realize Shepard or her team were talking to him.

Shepard glanced back toward the door. Prazza and the team--minus Tali--had tried to get here first and instead ran smack into a Heavy Mech that Veetor had programmed as a last line of defense for himself. Most of their team were now dead, with Tali patching up the survivors as best she could.

“What should we do now, Commander?” Jacob asked, glancing between Veetor and Shepard.

“Pack up the Quarian and call the shuttle,” Miranda said, crossing her arms, “We should leave.”

Before Shepard could round on the woman for trying to give out orders, the door slid open and Tali walked into the room.

“You’re not taking Veetor,” She hissed, “He’s injured and needs medical care; he doesn't deserve some interrogation chamber while he needs medical attention.”

“We won’t hurt him,” Jacob said defensively, “He might know more and we need to stop the Collectors from taking any more colonies.”

Miranda’s face finally wrinkled with a frown and her eyebrows coming together, “This is more important than some half-crazed quarian.”

“That’s enough,” Shepard broke the impending argument before it could start. Even Tali backed down hearing Shepard’s loud order, but Shepard’s attention was on Jacob and Miranda, “We are not kidnapping an injured man because he might have more information for us. Tali will take Veetor to be treated, I’m sure she’ll have no trouble giving us a copy of Veetor’s omni-tool.”

Miranda opened her mouth, but Shepard cut her off, “He’s not just some quarian, Lawson; I will not tolerate xenophobia, I don’t care if the Illusive man is shoving his dick down your throat. From now on, you are no longer allowed to speak when we’re in the same room.”

Shepard turned her back on Miranda, ignoring the woman’s presence from that moment forward. She turned to Jacob instead, “No questioning orders, call the shuttle, we’re leaving.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Jacob said quickly.

Miranda’s mouth fell open in shock and she glared at Shepard’s back, but didn’t make a sound.

“I’m glad to see you’re still the one giving orders, Shepard,” Tali said when there was a lull.

“Tali,” Shepard sighed and stepped forward to speak a little quieter, “Come with me? I’m surrounded by these kinds of people all day and I feel like I’m drowning out there.”

Tali stopped and watched Shepard before she glanced at Miranda and Jacob.

“I’m...sorry, Shepard,” She finally said, “I have a mission that’s too important to leave to anyone else, even for you.”

A needle pricked Shepard’s chest and she swallowed, but refused to react outwardly.

“I understand,” She said, though her mouth felt too dry, “Good luck, Tali.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

~~~

Revisiting the Illusive man wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do now that she was back on the strange space station, but after seeing Freedom’s Progress and the surveillance clips from Veetor’s work…

“We received the information bundle from the Flotilla containing the quarian’s omni-tool data,” the Illusive man was still smoking, and Shepard was vaguely aware of the ashtray in the arm of his chair--it was full of old butts, “I can’t say I agree with how we got it, but it's a surprising olive branch considering our history. I can’t argue with your results.”

“Having a few friends makes things a little easier on a few fronts,” Shepard quipped, “I’d tell you to try it sometime, but you have to be able to trust someone first.”

Despite her jab at him, the Illusive man chuckled, “It would be easier if Cerberus weren’t already perceived as a threat.”

Shepard choked back her response and instead crossed her arms and waited for him to continue.

“The data proves the Collectors are working with the Reapers and are abducting entire human colonies in the Terminus,” The Illusive man said slowly.

“You don’t seem all that surprised,” Shepard noted.

“That’s because it was a theory, one of the more likely ones.”

“Anything else you’d like to share with me?” Shepard grit her teeth.

“The Collectors are enigmatic at best,” He responded, “Their homeworld is somewhere passed the unmapped Omega-4 Relay--no ship has ever come back from that part of the galaxy and so there is no real way to tell where their homeworld actually is.”

“And they’re taking human colonists for some unknown purpose,” Shepard sighed.

“Exactly,” The Illusive man sighed out a breath of smoke, “You’ll need a team of the best if you want a chance of coming back alive.”

“I _had_ a team of the best,” Shepard said, “Even without Tali, the others-”

“Are separated and have new responsibilities,” The Illusive man cut her off.

“Where are they?” Shepard nearly did the same, “Where’s Garrus Vakarian?”

The Illusive man sighed, but decided to humor her.

“The turian left C-Sec a few months after you died,” He answered, “After he leaves the Citadel, he disappears, no trace of him.”

That was a hit in the chest. Garrus was probably the one most loyal to her of her whole crew, and that was even taking into account the human crew that had served with and under her for years.

“Ashley Williams?”

“Reassigned,” He said, taking a drag, “And on a classified mission, so I have little more information on her.”

“Wrex? Liara?”

“Wrex is on Tuchanka and hasn’t left planetside for over a year,” The Illusive man answered, “From my sources, he’s been spending his time reuniting the clans and such. Liara T’soni is currently on Illium, working as an information broker; there are a few rumblings about her and the Shadow Broker being at odds.”

Shepard took a breath and let her arms drop, “Alright, I get it; they’re too busy or can’t be found...what do you want me to do then?”

“I’ve collected a stack of Dossiers,” He pulled up a screen and hit a few buttons; she heard her omni-tool beep, “Some of the best in the galaxy to join your cause. One in particular, Mordin Solus, would be particularly advantageous to have on our side.”

“Mordin Solus?” Shepard didn’t bother to look at the information now.

“A salarian scientist on Omega,” His cigarette was burnt almost to the filter, but he didn’t put it out yet, merely let it hang between his fingers, “His work is brilliant and would help us against those seeker swarms the quarian mentioned.”

“Right,” Shepard felt her fists clench, “Noted under advisement; anything else I should know?”

“Oh, I’ve also got a pilot and a ship for you,” He said, a strange smirk on his lips as he finally stubbed out his cigarette, “From what I hear, he’s the best in the galaxy and perfect for this mission; and more importantly, I hear he’s someone you can trust.”

“Good luck, Shepard.”

The orange light around her dropped to the floor and Shepard rubbed her face even as she heard a set of uneven footsteps behind her.

“Long time no see, Commander.”

Shepard froze. That voice was as familiar now as it was two years ago when she was shoving him into an escape pod.

“Joker?” She turned and eyed the man who stood easily behind her, a large grin on his face despite the fit of emotions in her gut.

Part of her felt happy to see him, other bits and pieces were angry, upset, or surprised. She’d barely been up for a full 24 hours, and everything had happened so fast, she hadn’t had any time to process anything that had happened: not her own death, not her revival or the circumstance, hell, now seeing Joker again, she had to force her first reaction down in order to greet him properly.

“How have you been Joker?”

They were walking up the stairs again, heading past Miranda and Jacob in favor of walking toward a ship dock that Shepard had seen the shuttle in.

“Everything went to hell after you were spaced, Commander,” Joker said, his step uneven, but steady, “The Alliance and Council sealed everything and just wanted everything you stirred up to go away. The crew was separated and reassigned, and they flat out grounded me.”

“So you joined with Cerberus?” Shepard raised an eyebrow, a small smile on her lips, “Seems a bit like rebelling.”

“Maybe,” Joker chuckled, “But they let me fly, they brought you back; maybe they aren’t so bad, you know? Plus, check this out.”

He turned the last corner and pointed out the windows into a larger docking bay. Shepard felt her eyes widen and she stepped closer to the window, a curse slipping from her mouth.

“Is that…?”

“I just found out last night,” Joker was grinning again, “They rebuilt her, Shepard.”

And so it was. The ship in the dock was the same as Shepard remembered it looking; perhaps a little bigger, but it was a beautiful sight, a familiar sight.

“We should name her,” Shepard smiled, putting her hands on her hips.

“I can’t think of a better one,” Joker moved to stand next to her again.

“You’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving forward to bigger things! Keep an eye out for next chapter; Shepard isn't as strong as everyone might think!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated, and please follow my tumblr: [PurpleFictionMom.tumblr.com](http://purplefictionmom.tumblr.com/) My ask is always open!


	6. The Start

“The crew is ready to follow your orders,” Jacob said as he, Miranda and Shepard boarded the Normandy SR2 and walked toward the back of the CIC.

“I agree with the Illusive man,” Miranda started, “Mordin Solus-”

“You’re breaking my rule,” Shepard glared at her.

Miranda crossed her arms and pressed her lips together, frowning, but otherwise didn’t speak again.

“Mordin Solus would be an excellent addition to the team, Commander Shepard.” A new, almost robotic voice suddenly came from the intercom.

“Who is that?”

“I am the Normandy’s Artificial Intelligence; the crew often refer to me as EDI,” A blue holographic sphere suddenly popped up from one of the terminals of the navigation team.

“An AI?” Shepard glanced at Jacob, “Joker isn’t going to be happy.”

“Mr. Moreau need not worry,” EDI said, “I am not equipped to pilot the ship; during battle, I handle any and all electronic warfare, but other than that I cannot interface with the Normandy’s capabilities.”

“Right…” Shepard eyed the sphere until it disappeared. She was wasn’t sure how she felt about an AI on board--after all, they were illegal in both Council space and in the Alliance, and anyone looking for a good reason why they were a bad idea didn’t have to look farther than the Geth--but it was once again something she guessed would not matter what she said or did.

“Joker,” She finally collected herself enough to return to command.

“Yes, Commander?” His voice came over the intercom above her.

“Set a course for Omega, and I’ll need an ETA,” Shepard started to move around the galaxy map and was happy she took a quick glance over the blueprints Jacob offered a few hours before they boarded; she wanted a moment to enter her cabin and settle on their way to Omega.

“Aye, Commander,” Joker said, his voice following her to the elevator as she boarded, “Launching from port; ETA to Omega 6 hours and 20 minutes.”

“I’ll be in my cabin until we land,” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose after she hit the button for the captain’s cabin.

A whole floor to herself seemed much, even if it was the smallest one on the Normandy. A soldier’s life was all about fitting into the wheel that was already in motion, which usually meant cots or crew’s quarters that were about servicing needs on a cheap dime; hard cots or thin mattresses were the norm, as were military rations for meals and routine and regimen that kept the wheel oiled and moving smoothly.

This, this was something that had been built around the idea of comfort; and her comfort in particular. That by itself was enough to make her feel too close to the center of attention for her liking. 

It wasn’t the same as being in leadership. Leadership in the military meant you were in the muck with your crew and fighting the same battles; this felt too much like she was somehow elevated above them, better than them and that irked her enough that when the elevator finally opened, she didn’t step out right away.

Before the doors could close again, she slipped out, but the short waiting area kept her company for long minutes after the elevator had long left it's place behind her. The door wasn’t locked, and the green holoface glowed at her, inviting her to enter. Finally, she took a short sigh and stepped forward to enter.

When the door slid open, she had to pause again when she stepped inside.

The whole of it was easily almost as big as the mess area for the crew, separated into two areas by a short staircase. A fish tank lined one wall, and made her head shake slowly as she finally stepped further into the room.

The first area was a work station, with a desk and shelves and a door which slid open to reveal the bathroom. The desk had a personal computer and a picture of Liara that made her swallow and sink into the desk chair for a moment.

Shepard didn’t want to think about being on this ship with only one person she could trust, and only just. Joker was something familiar, but he was the last person she saw before dying, and what did that mean exactly?

She stood and turned away from the desk, pushing those thoughts back for a moment.

There was a display area in the wall between her desk and her sleeping area, and it took her only a moment to realize it was for model ships. It wasn’t a hobby she was known for--she’d put one together once with another crew member back when she was still a private and the ship she had been serving on had been stuck in port for one reason or another--she could not longer remember why, now.

The fish tank continued along the wall on her left as she walked down the three steps into the sleeping area. Immediately to her right was a sectional couch and coffee table that was nearly big enough for a good size group of people--at least all of her old team, and that included Wrex with all his krogan girth.

The bed was easily a queen or king size, much too much room for her by herself and she unconsciously brought her arms up to hold herself and she nearly jumped when her hands bumped into her armor.

She hadn’t worn anything else since she’d woken up, she realized and even though she’d been provided with civilian clothes, each one had some stamp of the Cerberus logo making her feel more than uncomfortable with the idea of wearing it; she’d rather stick with her armor. The problem was the fatigue with wearing her N7 armor. Years of training and missions had instilled in her a sense of urgent planning and command while she wore this armor.

Wearing the armor meant she was working, and working meant stress and a mental barrier in place for her. It was exhausting to keep up for so long, but the idea of relaxing in her armor was as laughable as shooting her gun and deciding that it didn’t need to be cleaned after. They were more than routines at this point for her.

Still, Shepard moved to the armor storage unit near her bed and slowly started to strip each piece of of herself. In her cabin, she could sit in her underwear comfortably; she could clean her armor and go through the small rituals of calming herself.

Her armor sat in pieces on her bed after, and she stood staring down at them wearing just her undersuit. Shepard studied each piece and a frown hit her face as she did so. It was a sad realization that this _wasn’t_ her suit of N7 armor. Her armor didn’t reflect the light so well, it was battle marked in places and that couldn’t be replicated.

Shepard reached down and touched the left shoulderguard that should have been a slightly different shade of black, because of it being a factory replacement. She’d had it knocked clean off in battle after fighting a krogan mercenary sometime after Akuze and her N7 training, and when the replacement came it wasn't quite the same shade.

The right knee cover was perfectly shaped, but that was wrong. Her right knee cover had two deep gashes from a varren attack while searching a derelict space station.

Shepard swallowed and closed her eyes. Honestly, brand new armor wasn’t something to be upset over, and other than missing the small imperfections that made the armor hers, it wasn't as big as a loss as she first thought.

Despite that, she still sat on the edge of her bed and cleaned each piece, letting her mind start to wander over the course of the past day. Freedom’s Progress felt like an age ago, but her mind remembered the details with clarity.

It was strange to unwind in this room; it was like trying to relax in a home you’ve never been to before without offending the owner. Perhaps that’s why her thoughts turned so dark.

It started with Tali’s suspicion over her identity.

Tali was sure, was convinced that Shepard was dead. She’d been spaced. From what she’d heard from Joker, there had been a funeral and everything--granted, with an empty casket.

The idea that not only had she been told that she died, not just final memories she had of standing on the Normandy and then being flung out into space while the air in her suit disappeared, but the idea that Tali and Joker--and everyone else--had been _convinced_ she was dead for two long years…

Shepard stood and dropped her arm guard as she stumbled to the bathroom before she fell to her knees and threw up into the toilet. She coughed and hacked, emptying her stomach of bile and acid the left her nose burning and her eyes watering.

Dead. She, Jane Shepard, had been _dead…_

Her body shook and she felt muscles trembling when she stood to hover over the sink. Her breathing was deep as she tried to calm herself and keep herself from throwing up again. Her stomach churned from the idea of her death, but she took another deep breath and turned on the water to splash her face and rinse her mouth of the taste and sting of acid.

Her second shock was when she looked in the mirror.

Her hair was the first to catch her eye: it was still the same bright red it has always been, but now it was longer than her shoulders. She had sort of been aware of it, having to keep it held back in a small bun at the base of her neck, but her bangs had been shaken loose in her heaving and now framed her face. A face that was hers, but was….off.

Her complexion was even and clear, something that she often wished for but had never been blessed with. Her eyes seemed to glow green from behind lashes that looked like they had a permanent layer of mascara and eyeliner, that didn’t smudge when she touched it and tried to rid herself of it. More than that, her scars were completely gone.

A tremble took her again and she nearly tore her undersuit off in the effort to strip herself naked. Her balance nearly gave out as she kicked the black fabric off. Her undershirt gave a near tearing sound as she yanked it over her head. Her eyes searched and her body turned as she tried to find her scars, any of her tattoos, anything, anything…

Her throat caught and started to hurt.

The scar over her cheek and nose that she’d gotten from her N7 training, the piece of scar on her earlobe from when she’d had her earring ripped out while she’d been hooking on earth, before the Alliance, her first tattoo on the back of her neck--a stylized cross with the name of her first pimp in the middle--the acid scar on her hip from Akuze, the burn on her hand from the first time during training that her weapon jammed, the tattoo on her hip that had been of her favorite flower, and all the rest; all of them were gone, and all that was left was smooth perfect skin.

Shepard thought she was going to throw up again and she didn’t realized she screamed until EDI’s voice came over the intercom.

“Commander, your vitals are elevated and you appear to be in a moment of distress,” EDI said, her robotic voice even and uncaring, “Would you like for me to contact the medbay?”

“Get off the intercom,” Shepard nearly shrieked, “Don’t call anyone!”

“Understood,” EDI said, “Logging you out, Shepard.”

Shepard sank to the floor, her hands still gripping the edge of the sink while the water ran freely. She felt dizzy and swayed as she sat on the floor, swallowing hard against the bile that was rising in her throat again. Everything spun and she finally realized she wasn’t breathing and took large gulping breaths.

Hot tears burned her eyes and fell down her face.

Everything was different. She felt different and out of place, she looked different--was it any wonder Tali was so suspicious? Would the rest of the crew react the same way? Would none of them rejoin her because of what had happened and would they all treat her with that same mistrust?

A sob escaped her and her body shook. The whole of everything just crashed over her head and she cried out in pain and loss. She felt alone, and empty, nothing really fit into place anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovelies!
> 
> Sorry this took so long; I moved out of my mom's house and into a 1-bedroom apartment, and it was exhausting. Hopefully this is back on track, though my posting schedule will be a little delayed as I continue to unpack my things and whatnot. I hope you like this!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated(( ~~please validate me~~ )), and please follow my tumblr: [PurpleFictionMom.tumblr.com](http://purplefictionmom.tumblr.com/) My ask is always open!


	7. The Mercenary

Shepard hadn’t even stepped off the ship yet when her omni-tool pinged her. She lifted her left arm and let the bright orange screen spring to life in front of her.

_From: The Illusive Man  
To: Comm. Shepard_

_I’ve just reached an agreement with one Zaeed Massani to join your mission. He’s located on Omega. I’ll forward his dossier to you._

It was a short note--the best kind from the prick who she was sure enjoyed toying with her--and almost immediately after she was finished reading, a notification of a new file being received came to her attention.

_Zaeed Massani_  
\- Expert in both personal and small unit combat  
\- Unparalleled mercenary soldier and bounty hunter  
\- Known for a willingness to get the job done, no matter the cost  
Zaeed Massani is, without a doubt, the most feared mercenary and bounty hunter in the galaxy. His services have been retained by Cerberus at extremely high cost. He is currently awaiting pickup on Omega. 

Shepard herself had no idea how much padding was in these dossiers to make the person more appealing as a pick up for her, but from the personal note attached from the Illusive man himself and the mention of the cost to Cerberus...perhaps Zaeed’s file was less padding and more skimming the surface.

Zaeed, luckily, wasn’t hard to find; he was practically on the Normandy’s doorstep.

The docking bay of Omega consisted of a deep hallway, and even though the hallway only lead to the Normandy--no other ships were docked at the time--there were more than one person moving about.

“Welcome to Omega.”

Shepard was stopped by a salarian who twitched and hunched; it was so strange to Shepard to see a salarian who wasn’t dressed in some type of lab coat that she was taken aback for a moment to study him.

His skin was pale and stretched over his bones, giving him a gaunt appearance. Shepard could only associate the look with one thing: drug addiction. He fidgeted in place, even as he continued to speak to her, completely unaware of the the batarian who was coming up behind him.

“If you’d like, stranger, I could-” He stopped when the batarian grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back; the salarian paled even more, if that was possible, “Y-You! I’m s-sorry, I-”

He was cut off when the batarian threw him back onto the ground, “Get out of here, pissant.”

The salarian didn’t hesitate to run, full out run, away from the batarian and out of the dock completely. The batarian didn’t give him another glance.

“Commander Shepard,” The batarian eyed her with all four of his eyes, “Aria wants a word with you.”

“Right, Aria,” Shepard crossed her arms and only became uneasy when she realized Jacob and MIranda weren’t even on edge with this new potential threat; if Garrus or Liara had been at her back--

Shepard forced those thoughts away and continued her address to the batarian, “Tell me who Aria is, and I might drop by for a visit.”

The batarian grit his teeth and almost growled as he answered, “Aria’s the head of Omega, watch your dirty human mouth!”

Unable to stop herself from poking a little more, Shepard dropped her arms and said, “Oh, that Aria; yeah, I’ll drop by for tea and cookies when I get a chance; you know, I’m just so busy-”

“Get to Afterlife, _now_ ,” The batarian’s body was tense, and perhaps it was his rising anger that made him add, “A dead spectre showing up on Omega is just the kind of thing Aria demands to be kept informed about.”

“Aw, do I scare her?” Shepard knew she might have been going too far, but quickly soothed with, “Don’t worry, Aria will get her dues from me; but you, you can piss off.”

The batarian hesitated and Shepard’s eyes narrowed, glowing red as she eyed the man, “Walk away.” She breathed.

Perhaps it was the unnatural glow of her eyes, or the fact that Miranda and Jacob finally clued in to the danger and prepared to draw their guns, either way, the batarian scoffed and left the dock. Shepard took what little pleasure she could in the fact that he was walking a mite faster than when he first approached.

“So, we talk to Aria first, then?” Jacob asked tentatively, glancing at Miranda who refused to even look at Shepard now that the potential danger was gone.

“No, our first stop is at the end of the hall.”

Zaeed Massani wasn’t a mystery to her. In fact, he’d been on the Alliance’s most wanted list on four separate occasions, and on all four occasions managed to deliver worse war criminals to the Alliance that deemed him pardoned. His face was still in their database, and currently wasn’t wanted, but Shepard knew his face from the last time he had pissed off the government on earth.

“Zaeed Massani?” Shepard kept a respectful distance as she approached the scene at the end of the hall, which ended in a small alcove.

A batarian was in a heap on the floor, his arm stretched out to her, silently asking for help, but Zaeed kicked the arm hard enough for Shepard to hear a crack of a bone breaking.

“Who’s lookin’?” Zaeed didn’t turn around and instead pulled out a gun; he trained it on the batarian, though he didn’t pull the trigger.

“I’m Commander Shepard of the Normandy SR2,” Shepard clasped her hands behind her.

She wasn’t sure what to make of the man as he finally turned around to face their group. The first notable thing about him was the huge crescent moon scar that went around his right eye, which was a white blue from the injury. His brown eye studied her thoroughly, though Shepard noted that his ‘dead’ eye didn’t seem so dead.

“Cerberus finally got you off the table, eh?” His heavy accent smoothed his voice, “They’ve had me on standby for a month or so; I was almost worried they’d cut me loose and I’ve been so hoping to meet the famous Commander Shepard.”

His tone was slightly mocking, but Shepard wasn’t offended; she felt that way about herself most days.

“Well, I’m glad I could give you one of your few jollies,” Shepard crossed her arms again before saying, “I was told about one crew member to pick up, not a crew member plus one.”

Her eyes moved to the batarian while Zaeed answered, “While I was waiting for you to get your lazy arse off the table, someone hired me to hunt this piece of shit-” He spit on the batarian before continuing, “and at my ‘keep alive’ rates, at that; I just need to deliver this trash and I’m all yours.”

Shepard nodded, though ignored the way he eyed her--half warily, half in teasing sensuality, “Then, off you go; I’ll have a space for you on the Normandy prepared, but I’d appreciate it if you’d meet me in the Afterlife bar as soon as you're finished.”

“Right, right,” Zaeed chuckled, “I’ll get all this moving on then…”

The batarian suddenly bolted and Zaeed shot from the hip, hitting the batarian in the leg and making him collapse.

“Nice try, four-eyes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got to Omega! There's a part of me that is antsy about how long this is going to turn out to be, and since I don't get a lot of comments about how well I'm doing, this story might take a bit of a back seat to other projects. I would love to hear from you guys! If its not too much trouble, at least.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated, and please follow my tumblr: [PurpleFictionMom.tumblr.com](http://purplefictionmom.tumblr.com/) My ask is always open!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always appreciated, and please follow my tumblr: [PurpleFictionMom.tumblr.com](http://purplefictionmom.tumblr.com/) My ask is always open!


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